The moment Lang Jiuchuan mentioned cooperation, A’Piao put himself on the highest possible alert. Not that anyone could blame him for being wary — this woman was cunning beyond measure. One moment of inattention and you’d fall right into her trap, leaving nothing but dust behind.

Their very first transaction was a lesson in exactly that — a complete loss on his end.

Was intelligence and information something that came easily? They had to hire people and ghosts to go out and gather it, and did hiring them cost nothing? Even ghosts required offerings of paper money, ingots, candles, and incense — otherwise why would anyone do your bidding? Had he never heard the saying that petty ghosts are the hardest to deal with?

But when Lang Jiuchuan showed up, she got it all for free. She said she would exchange her own secrets for it. Ha — buying your own secrets with your own secrets. If that got out, people would laugh themselves to death.

And yet they had truly “bought” it.

So that transaction netted them nothing — they actually came out at a loss.

Now Lang Jiuchuan was talking cooperation again. He didn’t believe it. She was probably setting up another trap.

“Business is business — it all comes down to a fair price. Cooperation is certainly possible, so long as it’s fair and mutually beneficial. Why don’t you lay it out first, miss?” A’Piao showed his false smile and didn’t agree outright.

Lang Jiuchuan returned to the table and tapped the list he had given her. “Whoever killed my original self is likely hiding among these names. I have a strong suspicion it was someone from the Xuan Clan — or at the very least, one of their people, someone like this one surnamed Qi.”

A’Piao looked over.

“You’re not saying it was the Qi Family who killed you, are you? As far as I know, whatever grievances exist between you and them only came about after you returned to the capital. Even when you came face to face with Countess Guiyang — she didn’t even recognize who you were. She went straight to the marquis household after that. If it really had been them, no matter how brazen they were, there would still be a trace of guilt.”

Lang Jiuchuan’s eyes half-narrowed. “You truly are thorough. It seems your intelligence network of ghosts is very well-placed.”

A’Piao: “……”

Damn it, she got me again.

Lang Jiuchuan said, “What you’ve pointed out is also what I’ve thought. The Qi miss who encountered me showed not even a flicker of surprise when she saw me — which means she had never laid eyes on me before. And when the Qi Family came to our door, it meant they didn’t know the ‘original me’ was already dead.”

If they had done it — and done it so viciously as to obliterate her soul — and then saw her walking around alive and well in the world, even the strongest of composures would betray a trace of guilt and shock.

Yet the Qi Family showed nothing of the sort. So it hadn’t been them. But the Qi Family was connected by marriage to the Rong Family of the Xuan Clan. Was it a coincidence that they had appeared at such an estate?

“I don’t know the web of relationships between these people, but someone must be hiding within it. Perhaps even your network hasn’t fully mapped it out — it’s even possible that among these notable figures, the person who actually came wasn’t who they appeared to be.” Lang Jiuchuan said, “If you can find out exactly who each of these women brought with them, I could almost certainly narrow it down.”

“Narrow down what?”

“Whether the person who killed me was someone from the Xuan Clan.”

“That’s far too vague. What makes you say so?”

“Intuition.” Lang Jiuchuan looked at the paper and said, “I have a powerful feeling that I was born fundamentally at odds with the Xuan Clan. That very well may be a remnant obsession lingering in this body.”

A’Piao smiled and said, “Based on nothing but intuition, miss, you’re already determined to make a formidable enemy of yourself? Very well. Let’s even assume for a moment that the Xuan Clan truly did kill your previous self. What then, miss?”

“Kill them back, of course.” Lang Jiuchuan’s eyes deepened.

A’Piao shook his head slightly. “I may speak disparagingly of the Xuan Clan at every turn, but they’re not the complete waste I describe. With the foundation their ancestors left behind, they still have some real substance. And they’ve recruited no small number of monks and Daoist practitioners as elder-protectors. Even the ordinary disciples have training in the five arts of the esoteric traditions — none of them are especially impressive, but what does that matter when there are so many of them?”

“Miss — one person cannot overcome a thousand soldiers. No matter how strong you are, if they come at you in a coordinated group, they will eventually find a gap and land you a killing blow. And setting all that aside, aren’t you in rather desperate straits yourself right now?”

Lang Jiuchuan showed no concern at his dismissal. “That is precisely why I want to cooperate. You have a grudge against the Xuan Clan, and I have a blood feud. We fight together.”

A’Piao laughed despite himself. “My grudge hasn’t reached the level of a fight to the death with them. A losing proposition — I won’t take it.”

Lang Jiuchuan gave a careless sound of acknowledgment.

A’Piao seemed to feel his tone had been too harsh, and worried she might act rashly, so he added, “Miss, don’t go rolling up your sleeves just yet. Frail as you are, you wouldn’t even need multiple clans joining forces against you — just one family alone could break you.”

Lang Jiuchuan gave a cold laugh. “I never said I intend to take my revenge right this moment. I’m simply trying to identify who the enemy is so I can plan my next move accordingly. Yes, I am completely powerless right now — but I will reach a point where no blade can touch me. When that time comes, who will be the one broken remains to be seen.”

A’Piao looked at the young woman’s proud, disdainful face and felt a strange, wistful sensation.

“So — help me investigate a little more.”

Lang Jiuchuan had a very strong intuition: once she uncovered the truth behind the original host’s death, it might very well unravel far more — perhaps even the mystery of her true origins.

“Miss, in business, there is always the matter of compensation…”

“What do you want? Can I put it on account?” Lang Jiuchuan said. “As it happens, I’m about to open a shop in Xunxiang Alley in the Western Quarter — I’ll pay you back once I’ve earned some silver. Oh, and I notice you have real talent. Would you like to come work for me?”

A’Piao: ?

Would you listen to yourself — what kind of ghost nonsense is that?

Master, someone is trying to poach your staff!

Lang Jiuchuan said, “I can make paper forms like this for you too — new ones for every season, if you like. How does that sound? I’ll craft you the finest soul incense.”

“Miss, please don’t make sport of me. I’m just an old ghost — not worth your effort.” A’Piao laughed his hollow laugh.

“Then help me keep investigating, and I’ll pay you in soul incense.” Lang Jiuchuan said, “I don’t have enough materials on hand right now, but Tongtian Pavilion must have a good supply. Lend me some first — once I’ve made the incense, I’ll pay you back. Deal?”

A’Piao: !

Even Jiang Che couldn’t let this pass and said in a weary tone, “Show some restraint. Don’t treat ghosts like they’re fools. Freeloading has its limits.”

Lang Jiuchuan said without so much as a blush, “Soul incense has to be crafted with Daoist intention and incantation woven into it. That kind of thing is worth more than gold. You think it’s like ordinary incense sticks?”

Jiang Che was about to retort when it suddenly turned toward the wall.

A ghost passed through it — the hanged ghost, who glanced at Lang Jiuchuan and said to A’Piao, “Boss, the Rong Family just went to the Qi estate. Looks like the Qi Family called them in to dispel the baleful energy from Countess Guiyang.”

A’Piao let out a sharp sound of surprise and said, “Miss, you’re in trouble. The Xuan Clan looks after their own. Even if they weren’t your enemies before, they’re about to become so. The Qi Family will almost certainly embellish things — they’ll say the baleful energy on Countess Guiyang was placed there by your curse. Those people are likely coming to teach you a harsh lesson for your ‘wicked words.'”

Lang Jiuchuan gave a cold laugh. “If that’s the sort of people the Xuan Clan are — reckless and indiscriminate — then there’s nothing to fear from them.”

A barking dog is easy to deal with — it’s almost always bluster and posturing. The truly dangerous ones are the dogs that don’t bark. They come at you in silence and sink their teeth in before you ever hear a sound.